An optical disc is used to record data onto a data side thereof with a burner. After the burning operation of a disc is finished, the title or other information may be marked on the label side of the optical disc. For combining text and graphics in simple or complex labels that reflect one's personality and attitude, a lightscribe optical disc drive has been disclosed. Lightscribe is an optical disc recording technology that utilizes specially coated recordable CD and DVD media to produce laser-etched labels with text or graphics. The label side of a lightscribe disc is coated with a specific light-sensitive dye that becomes darkened when exposed to the laser light emitted by an optical pickup head. By creating the desired text or graphics with a graphics program, the laser light burns the label pattern onto the label side.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the central part of a typical lightscribe disc. The optical disc has an annular reference region 13 previously provided with a certain pattern. The annular reference region 13 includes an outer ring and an inner ring. The inner ring is provided with a uniform pattern, i.e. alternate dark and bright spokes, for rotation control while marking the label side. In general, the information of the outer ring is accessed by the optical pickup head (not shown), while the information of the inner ring is realized by a spoke detector 12.
In accordance with the specifications of the lightscribe optical disc drive, the spoke detector should be separated from the lightscribe disc by a specified gap (e.g. 1.5 mm). In the conventional lightscribe optical disc drive, a spacer with electrical wires is attached on a spindle motor PCB (printed circuit board) and then the spoke detector is mounted on the spacer. By means of the spacer, the spoke detector is separated from the lightscribe disc by the specified gap. In addition, the spoke detector is electrically connected to the spindle motor PCB through the spacer.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating a spoke detector used in a conventional lightscribe optical disc drive. As shown in FIG. 2, a spindle motor PCB 11 is supported on a metallic plate 9. A spindle motor 16 is mounted on the spindle motor PCB 11 for rotating a lightscribe disc 15. A spacer 10 is also mounted on the spindle motor PCB 11. A spoke detector 12 is disposed on the spacer 10 for detecting certain patterns 13 on the inner ring of the lightscribe disc 15. Several electrical wires 14 are also disposed on the spacer 10. After the spoke detector 12 is placed over the spacer 10, the spoke detector 12 is contacted with the electrical wires 14 on the spacer 10. The electrical wires 14 are extended from the main body of the spacer 10 and coupled with signal lines or power lines on the spindle motor PCB 11 by soldering means, for example. Via the electrical wires 14, the spoke detector 12 is communicated with and electrically connected to the spindle motor PCB 11.
FIG. 3 is a schematic top view illustrating a traverse assembly inside the lightscribe optical disc drive. The traverse assembly 100 has an optical pickup head 18 thereon. The optical pickup head 18 is supported by the guide rods 17 on bilateral sides thereof. For reading/writing the lightscribe disc 15 as described in FIG. 2, the optical pickup head 18 is driven by a stepping motor (not shown) to move along the guide rods 17 in the direction as indicated by the arrow. Moreover, after the spoke detector 12 is inserted into a perforation 20 in a frame 19 of the traverse assembly 100, the traverse assembly 100 is combined with the spindle motor PCB 11. A top view of the assembled traverse assembly 100 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Meanwhile, the spoke detector 12 may detect certain patterns 13 on the inner ring of the lightscribe disc 15.
FIG. 5 is a schematic partial side view of the lightscribe optical disc drive after a lightscribe disc is loaded. As shown in FIG. 5, by using the spacer 10 to raise the spoke detector 12, the spoke detector 12 is separated from the lightscribe disc 15 by a specified gap 21 in order to comply with the specifications of the lightscribe optical disc drive. When the lightscribe disc 15 is rotated by the spindle motor 16, the certain patterns 13 on the inner ring of the lightscribe disc 15 is continuously detected by the spoke detector 12 and thus the spoke detector 12 issues corresponding spoke signals. The spoke signals are transmitted to the spindle motor PCB 11 through the electrical wires 14 on the spacer 10 for rotation control.
As previously described, the spacer 10 is used for raising the spoke detector 12 such that the spoke detector 12 is separated from the lightscribe disc 15 by a specified gap. Since the spoke detector 12 is communicated with the spindle motor PCB 11 through the wires 14 in the spacer 10, the configurations and the fabricating process of the spacer 10 are very complicated and the spacer 10 is not cost-effective.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an improved lightscribe optical disc drive to obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior art.